Related Links

STANFORD, Calif. – Trent Murphy has been named one of 16 semifinalists for theChuck Bednarik Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Tuesday. The award honors the season's most outstanding defensive player in college football.

Murphy enters the bye week ranked fourth nationally in sacks with 9.5 and seventh with 13.0 tackles for loss.

The winner of the 19th Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards Show which will be broadcast on ESPN on Dec. 12. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 25 and a second round of voting will take place at that time. The formal presentation of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club's Awards Dinner on Feb. 28 in Atlantic City, N.J.

Semifinalist voting for both of the collegiate awards presented by the Maxwell Football Club will begin Oct. 30 and closes Nov. 24. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA Head Football Coaches, Sports Information Directors and selected national media.

Murphy, who hails from Mesa, Ariz., is coming off a big week that saw the fifth-year senior earn Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. He led a tenacious Stanford defense to a 20-12 victory at Oregon State last week. Murphy collected 3.5 tackles for a loss, including 2.5 sacks among eight total tackles. He broke up one pass, blocked an extra point and had one quarterback hurry.

All told, Stanford sacked the nation’s leading passer, Sean Mannion, eight times and logged 13 tackles for a loss while holding the Beavers to 150 yards under their season passing average. Oregon State finished the night with 17 net rushing yards.

The Cardinal stopped Oregon State four times on fourth down including a pass breakup in the end zone with seven seconds remaining.